OCTOBER 10, 1973 -- Author Farley Mowat and his wife Claire made good on his promise to move to Manitoba if the NDP government was re-elected in June. Last month he loaded the family camper, wheeled out of Port Hope, Ont. and settled in the backyard of Premier Ed Schreyer's north Winnipeg home.

Farley Mowat, 89, says that with this last memoir he is finished writing. He is photographed in his Port Hope, Ontario home on October 13, 2010. He says he has two offices, one in his home, and one outside of his home, but nearby, which he calls his secret office. These photos were taken in this secret office, that he says he can now speak about. He has worked in this second storey office for nearly twenty years, but this is the first time he has been photographed up there in his recollection.

NOVEMBER 7, 1984 -- Manitoba Natural Resources Minister Alvin Mackling and Farley Mowat withi his cheque for being an idea man. It was 10 years late, but author Farley Mowat this week finally received his pay for work he did in 1973 for the government of former premier Ed Schreyer in Manitoba. Mr. Schreyer hired Mr. Mowat for $1 a year as his "idea man," in Mowat's phrase, to prepare proposals for his cabinet. Mr. Mowat, famous as author of Never Cry Wolf, A Whale For The Killing, People of The Deer and 24 other books with mainly a northern, wilderness, or maritime outlook, was to provide the government with plans to deal with northern problems and to address cultural issues. For eight months in 1973 he parked his trailer in the Schreyers' back yard in Winnipeg ("I used to go to Ed and Lily's house when I needed to take a bath"). And he wrote 15 proposals, all of which, he claims, made their way to the cabinet.

Farley Mowat, 89, says that with this last memoir he is finished writing. He is photographed in his Port Hope, Ontario home on October 13, 2010. He says he has two offices, one in his home, and one outside of his home, but nearby, which he calls his secret office. These photos were taken in this secret office, that he says he can now speak about. He has worked in this second storey office for nearly twenty years, but this is the first time he has been photographed up there in his recollection.

Farley Mowat, 89, says that with this last memoir he is finished writing. He is photographed in his Port Hope, Ontario home on October 13, 2010. He says he has two offices, one in his home, and one outside of his home, but nearby, which he calls his secret office. These photos were taken in this secret office, that he says he can now speak about. He has worked in this second storey office for nearly twenty years, but this is the first time he has been photographed up there in his recollection.

In Italy, near Ortona 1943 as Farley Mowat as Platoon Commander with the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. Ortona was the battle that 'cost the regiment a third of its fighting men, killed or wounded in body or in spirit.'

Farley Mowat, 89, says that with this last memoir he is finished writing. He is photographed in his Port Hope, Ontario home on October 13, 2010. He says he has two offices, one in his home, and one outside of his home, but nearby, which he calls his secret office. These photos were taken in this secret office, that he says he can now speak about. He has worked in this second storey office for nearly twenty years, but this is the first time he has been photographed up there in his recollection. He also still types all of his writing....with two fingers, on his old Underwood typewriter.

FEBRUARY 6, 1958 -- Author Farley Mowat and his wife Frances at home together in their log cabin. The young couple built the log cabin themselves on their 10 acres property -- largely swamp -- near Palgrave, Ontario. There are no mortgage worries when you build your own house, says builder Mowat.

Copy picture courtesy of Farley Mowat. Picture of Farley in and his dog Mutt taken either 1938/39 which would have made Farley 17 or 18 years old in this photograph. His loyal companion "Mutt" who was about 9 or 10 years old and later died that same year when he was hit by a car. Farley Mowat recalls how sad he was to lose his friend.

FEBRUARY 6, 1958 -- Author Farley Mowat, his wife Frances and children, Sandy and David play in the snow outside their log cabin in the winter of 1958. The young couple built the log cabin themselves on their 10 acres property -- largely swamp -- near Palgrave, Ontario.

Copy picture courtesy of Farley Mowat. Picture of Farley and a young coyote in Saskatchewan in 1939. Farley would have been 18 years old in this photograph. He bought the coyote from "a lad at a service station in Northern Saskatchewan for one dollar." Farley named the coyote "Fang" and took him back to Ontario with him. "Fang" soon escaped once they were back in Ontario and according to Farley Mowat, may have been responsible for the coyote population in Southern Ontario.

Copy picture courtesy of Farley Mowat. Picture of Farley with a reflex graflex camera with a friend of his in 1939 at the Richmond Hill High School that he attended. Farley would have been 18 years old in this photograph and was the photographer for the school yearbook.

Copy picture courtesy of Farley Mowat. Picture of Farley (foreground) with his mother and father. Don't have the year for this photograph, but he assumed it would have been 1938/39 so he would have been 17 or 18 years old.

FEBRUARY 6, 1958 -- Author Farley Mowat, his wife Frances and children, David and Sandy (smaller child) take a walk in the snow outside their log cabin. The young couple built the log cabin themselves on their 10 acres property -- largely swamp -- near Palgrave, Ontario.